Wringer



June 6, 1944. c. w. WILLIAMS 2,350,381

' WRINGER Filed Feb. 8, 1957 3 SheetsSheet 1 ATTORNEYJ;

INVENTOR. Y Car/e: l fl/l z'a/ms June 6, 1944. c. w. WILLIAMS WRINGER Filed Feb. 8, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTCR.

W wow 5.

Patented June 6, 1944 1 UNITED STATES WRINGER Charles W. Williams, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Automatic Safety Wringer Company, a. partnership Application February 8, 1937, Serial No. 124,531 7 13 Claims.

sure rolls and a third roll cooperating with one of the pressure rolls to provide an intake bite. The construction is so arranged that when clothes of predetermined thickness are fed to the intake bite, the operation of the wringer automatically ceases.

It has been the general object of my invention to construct a three-r011 wringer inwhich one roll constantly acts as the pressure roll and .in which the other two rolls coact therewith, each of them alternately acting as the feed roll or a pressure roll, depending on the direction from which clothes are fed.

In general I accomplish this by mounting three rolls in triangular relation, one on top and two below. Pressure applying means to set up the requisite wringing pressure is provided which is shiftable to coact with either of the lower rolls as desired in order that the same may cooperate with the top roll to wring clothes. The lower roll, which is not engaged by the pressure creating means, is free to act as the auxiliary roll. As above indicated, upon the reversal of the direction of the feeding of clothes the roll which has been acting as the auxiliary roll becomes the pressure roll and similarly the pressure roll becomes the auxiliary roll.

A further object of my invention hasbeen @to use the aforementioned construction in such manner that movement of the roll acting as the auxiliary away from its cooperating r011 will stop the operation of the wringer, preferably by disconnecting the driving means from therolls.

Other objects-f my invention will become apparent from the specification following and from the drawings appended hereto. The novel features of my invention are set forth in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a wringer embodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the center of the wringer showing the construction'adjacent the supported end of the wringer;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section across the wringer as indicated by the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sections :throughnthe wringer as shown by the lines 4-4 and .5---5, respectively, on Fig. 2 with parts removed;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section as indicated :by the line ES on Fig. 2 showing-the manneraof driving one lower roll from the other, together with the means for supporting the guide;

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary sections showing mechanism for disconnecting the power drive.

' .to provide a power drive for the wringer.

Figs. 9 and 10 are schematic showings of the positions occupied by thelower r011 supporting bars as clothes are fed from each side of the wringer.

Fig. 11 is a detailed view of the mechanism for shifting the drain board.

As heretofore mentioned and as shown in Fig. 4, the wringer in general comprises three wringing rolls In, H and [2 arranged in triangular relationship. A guide bar I5 extends the length of the rubber rolls and coacts with the two lower rolls to insure the passage of clothes through the wringer rather than downwardly between the rolls. Pressure spring mechanism, as shown in Fig. 5, is pivotally carried by the bar 23 and is shiitable to coact with either lower roll desired.

The wringer, referring to Fig. 1, comprises a head portion '22 and a main frame 24 carrying pivotally thereon, on a longitudinal axis, a subframe "25. The head shown in Fig. 2 carries a downwardly extending stub shaft 28 adapted to be connected with the power drive from the Washing machine when the wringer is mounted in place on the wringer post carried by the machine. Tlie stub shaft 2B'carries a bevel gear 30, which in turn drives in opposite directions a pair of bevel gears 33 and 34. A gear '33 is pinned to the shaft 35, which, as shown in Fig. 2, ,at its right-hand end, terminates in a head 31 carrying a plurality of clutch teeth.

The bevel gear 34 is pinned to, a sleeve 4%] which is rotatably carried on the shaft .35 and prevented fromlongitudinal slippage by the head member 4? which is abutted at one side by the gear hub, and on the other by a ring 43 carried by the sleeve. At its right-hand end the sleeve ii] is provided with a plurality of clutch teeth 45. It will be apparent at once that the teeth of the sleeve ii] rotate in a direction opposite to that of the teeth of the shaft 35. In order to facilitate assembly the head is open at the lefthand endand closed with a cover plate 23.

A gear is carried idly on the shaft 35 and meshes with the gear carriedby the upper roll This gear, designated at 53, isprovided at each side with an elongated hub, the ends of the hub being toothed to-engage the teeth on the sleeve '40 and shaftflt-respectively. An annularring 5| for-engagement by a shifting yoke is cut in the lefthand side of the hub, as shown-in Fig. 2. A yoke 52 having .pins engaging the annular recess 5! is pivotally carried at 5 3 by the head.

To manually shift-the geartil to reverse the wringer or to stop rotation of the same, a manually operated rock arm 55 is pivoted to the head at 56. A link 57 connects the arm with the yoke 52. Thus in the position shown in Fig. 2, the gear engages the teeth'o'f the sleeve 40. When the rock arm is horizontal, the gear 59 is extending across the subframe 25 and each of which cross-arms abuts an end of the roll carried thereby to prevent lateral shifting of the same.

Sub-frame 25, as heretofore stated, is longitudinally pivoted on the frame 24. This pivot comprises a pairof arms 65 extending downwardly from the sub-frame and pivoted to the main frame at 68. A manually releasable latch i normally retains the sub-frame 25 in closed position and also permits the same to be readily opened.

As "clothes are ejected from the rolls after wringing there is a tendency for them to wrap around the rolls and become tangled therewith. To prevent this with regardto the upper roll I0,

The gear 60 is position there shown, the ends of the two blocks 94, are tight against the cam surfaces of bars 86 and thus force the roll II into wringing relation with the roll I0. At this time, however, due to the peculiar shape of the cam recesses, there is sufficient clearance above the arms or stubs of the blocks 94 lying in coacting relation with the bars 82 to permit the bars to rock 1 freely downwardly, thus permitting the roll I2 to .act as an auxiliary roll. When the spring mechanism is shifted to the right of the position shown in Fig. 5, the shapes of the cam recesses in the pairs of bars 82 and 85 result in the former I provide a stripper 12 (Fig. 4) having pins reciprocable in mating slots of the cross-frame member I5 of the sub-frame 25. The weight of the stripper retains it in contact with the roll and reciprocation is provided to compensate for any'irregularities in the roll surface.

Each of the lower rolls is supported in such manner that it may move away from the upper roll when acting either as a pressure or asan auxiliary roll. Thus, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the roll I2 is provided with an elongated shaft 80 which is journaled at each side of the roll in the free ends'of a pair of bars 82 pivoted to the wringer frame 24 at 84. The roll II is provided with a shaft 85, which is similarly carried in the free ends of the pair of pivoted bars 86 supportedby the frame at 08. As shown in Fig. 5, the bars 86 aregoose necked upwardly where they extend across the shaft 80 and thus are able to rock downwardly without disturbing that shaft. The free ends'of the bars 82 and 86 are guided between shoulders 84 and 89 of the from to prevent sidewise movement and are limited in upward movement by overlying'ledges 9| merging with the shoulders 89.

'Pressure is applied to one of the lower rolls at a time through a pair of pressure springs to render the same efiective as a wringing roll. One end of each of the two pressure springs 90 bears against a block 92 fixed to the bar 20 and provided with a nub extending upwardly inside the spring to retain the same in position. The opposite end of the spring 90 bears against the block 94, which is similarly provided with a nub to retain the spring. A bolt 95 passes from one block to theother to prevent excessive elogation of the spring upon disassembly and to link both blocks 94 to the bar 20 to permit rocking the stub portions of the blocks act thereagainst. .As best shown in Fig. 5, when the spring is'in the being forced upwardly to create a pressure roll bite between the rolls I0 and I2. At the same time the clearance in the cam recesses in the two bars 86 permits the same to rock downwardly freely and the roll II to act as an auxiliary roll. The two spring mechanisms, one at each end of the lower rolls, are shiftable as a unit with the bar 20.

It will thus be apparent from the foregoing description that, depending upon the position of the spring mechanism, one of the lower rolls, through the medium of its pivoted supporting bar, is urged upwardly to coact with the roll I0 to provide a pressure bite and at the same time the other lower roll is freely pivoted with respect to the roll I0 to provide an auxiliary roll bite;

Four light springs I00 connect the ends of each of the four lower roll supporting bars with the frame at a point above each bar. Thus, when the wringer mechanism is in the position of Fig. 5 and the two bars 86 are prevented from downward movement, unless they compress the two pressure springs, the bars 82 are restrained against downward movement only as they tension the respective springs I00 which support them at their ends. In this manner it is possible to create sufficient spring pressure between the rollacting as an auxiliary-and the roll I0 to insure a satisfactory feed bite and at a low enough pressure to avoid injury to the operators hands if they pass into the auxiliary bite and further permit ready withdrawal of the hands if so caught.

It has been found desirable to positively drive 'the lower roll acting as the auxiliary from the lower roll acting as a pressure roll, the latter of course being efiectively driven through the clothes passing therebetween due to the wringing pressure between it and the upper driven roll.

' other.

To preventpassage of clothes downwardly between the lower-rolls and insure their passage through the two wringer bites, the guide I5 is provided. This guide, as shown in Fig. 3, is also carried by the links I68 and I09, of which there is a set at each end of the wringer. Here again, as the positions of the lower rolls shift,

the guideremains in substantially the same coacting position' with'regard to each lowerroll due to the path of its movement defined by the supporting links. Thus the guide is always in,

position to properly strip clothes passing thereto.

Strippers are provided for each of the lower rolls which function in a manner similar to the stripper 12 carried by the roll III. A shaft H is provided on each side of the wringer, as shown in Fig. 4; each of which pivotally supports a stripper plate H6, bearing against each roll, as shown. Springs 6' are provided at each end of the plates H6 which encircle the shafts H5 and bear against the plates in such manner that the same are each retained lightly in contact with the coacting roll. Thus, as the position or each roll shifts the end of the plate H6 coacting therewith follows the roll contour and insures a continuous and positive stripping action for clothes leaving the wringer, as well as facilitating the feeding of clothes to the wringer.

The shafts I I5, which support the strippers I I6, also serve to carry the mechanism by which the rotation of the rolls is stopped when an excess thickness of material is fed thereto. As above indicated, if the operator's hands become caught between the two rolls providing the auxiliary bite, it is comparatively easy to withdraw them because of the light pressure tending" to hold them together which results from the action of the springs I00. In rare instances, however, if an operators fingers should become caught in the pressure roll bite, it is essential that the wringer be immediately stopped. This is effected because, under such conditions, the lower roll acting as the auxiliary is separated from its coacting roll by a comparatively large amount. The release mechanism, by which the roll rotation is stopped, is best shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, '7 and -8. As there shown, each of the shafts H5 supports a pair of rock arms I which, as best shown in Fig. 3, underlie each of the lower roll shafts at the ends thereof. The shafts H5 are journaled in the ends of the wringer adjacent the-head, as shown in that figure, and each su ports an clon gated, downwardly curved rock arm I and I26. It thus follows that if either end of one of the lower rolls is urged downwardly as by the operator feeding her hands thereto, an arm I20 will be rocked, which in turn rocksthe respective arm I25 or I26.

Rocking of one of the downwardly curved arm's acts to shift the gear 50 out of engagement with whichever set of teeth it may engage; To this end a yoke I is pivoted to the frame at 'I3I and embraces the annular recess SI of the spur gear 50. Connection is made with the recess SI by the same pins which connect the yoke 52 there with. In effect this provides a double yoke engaging the clutch at a single pair of opposite points. The yoke I30 extends downwardly past the pivot point and terminates in a flat Shoulder. To this shoulder is suitably fastened a leaf spring I which extends outwardly therefrom to provide a unit of substantially T -shape. Fig. 2 shows the mechanism just described in position to establish a drive through the sleeve 40 to the spur gear 50 and in turn to the roll 10. The s'ar'ne figure shows the ends of the respective arms I25 and I26 in idle position before they are moved to stop the wringer. As there shown, the arm I25 when rocked downwardly by the shaft of the roll I I stops the wringer. The roll acting as the auxiliary may drop any desired distance before it actuates the release, although I have found that a convenient working distance is of an inch, and during an additional /8 of an inch of auxiary roll drop, the clutch mechanism is disengaged. Referring again to Fig. 2, when the roll I2 acting as the auxiliary drops of an inch, the end of the arm I25 is in contact with the upwardly facing portion of the leaf spring I35 The spring is stiff enough so that an additional downward movement of the arm rocks the yoke I30 about the pivot BI and moves the .gear 50 to idleposition, thereby stopping the roll rotation. By operation of the latch 10, the wringer top may be conveniently opened and all pressure relieved from the r011.

It is sometimes desirable to wring a heavy blanket which is ordinarily of sufficient thickness to actuate the roll stopping mechanism. Under such circumstances, if the roll rotation stops, it is only necessary to rock the arm 55 in the desired direction which manually reestablishes a roll drive between the gear 50 and sleeve 40 or shaft 35, as may be desired. This is possible although one of the arms I25 or I26 be rocked to maintain the drive in neutral. Due to the resiliency of the leaf spring I35, an amount of play is established between the release arms and the yoke I30 to permit rocking of the latter without substantial upward displacement of the release arm. The manual control furnished by the rock arm 55 is a further advantage because clothes may not only be fed through the wringer in the direction in which they were started, but the wringer may be reversed to eject clothes at the auxiliary roll bite.

It is desirable to simultaneously shift the pressurespring mechanism and the wringer drain-, board. As shown in Fig. 11, a drainboard designated at I40 is pivoted to the frame at I and above the pivot point carries pin I42. This pin is engaged by fork I45 secured to the bar 20. Pivotally carried by the shaft 62- and at opposite ends of the pressure roll l0 are arms I50 forked at the bottom and extending upwardly through the wringer top and riding in slots therein. The forked end at the bottom of each member I50 engages the block 94 which provides a seat for the upper end of the respective pressure springs 90. A suitable handle I52 connects the exposed ends of the arms I50. Thus, shifting the handle from one side of the wringer to the other will shift the pressure spring mechanism from coaction'with one lower roll to coaction with the other lower roll. Simultaneously the drainboard I40 will be shifted by the fork I45 to its proper 'position. By properly shifting the arm 55, roll rotation may be established in the desired direction, whereupon clothes may be fed between the auxiliary rolls and the water wrung therefrom as they leave the pressure rolls.

To prevent an excessive amount of water from splashing into the ends of the wringer a vertical baflie I55 is provided at each end of the rolls. These bafli'es are cutaway near the shafts of the three rolls in order that there be no interference with the up and down movement of the rolls or the guide I-5.

Other modes of applying the principle of" my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed;

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a wringer with three rolls positioned to provide a pressure bite and an auxiliary bite, a frame, said rolls carried in said frame with one roll contacting each of the other two to provide a pair of roll bites, shiftable means to establish wringing pressure; at, either of said roll bite s and positive .means to drivethe roll not actingas a pressure roll through the remaining of the other 2.- In a wringer, .a pair of rolls, resilient means to apply wringing pressure to said rolls-means including a resilient,;member-acting automatically on feeding an excess thickness ofmaterial tothe wringer tostopthe; operation .of- ,said wringer, and means to manually reestablish the operation of the wringer to feed said excess thickness of material by flexing said resilient member while permitting said stopping means to remain incondition to stop the. operation of the wringerupon release of the manual means.

3. In a wringer, a frame,a pair of pressure rolls carried by said frame resilient means .to apply wringing pressure to said rolls, a member shiftable away from one of said pressure rolls-power means to drive said rolls, a power connection be:

tweensaid power means and said rolls, mechanism, including a resilient member linking said power connection and said first memberrto disconnect the power connection upon movement in excess of a,predeterminedamount of the first member away from its-coacting roll, andmeans to manually. reestablish said powerconnection without substantially-.moving said firstmember dueto flexing of. said resilient member.- j

4. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls mounted in said frame with theiraxes triangularly spaced from each other to. provide between said, rolls -a pair of. roll: bites, resilient means. to maintain wringing pressure between two. Of: said rolls, means to shiftsaid resilient means; to-establish wringing pressure between one. of .said two rolls and the third roll and release mechanism adapted'to be actuated when a predetermined thickness of material is fed to the wringer to'stop the operation of said wringer. 7 7 5. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls carried in said frame to provide a pair of roll bites, means to establish wringing pressure between the two rolls forming one of, said bites or between the two ,rollsfforming the other of said bites as desired,

power means, to drivesaid rolls, means to shift said pressure establishing means, to .providewring: lng pressure between either pair, of .rolls as desired, a separable power connection between said power means and said rolls, and mechanism operative whena predetermined thickness of clothes is fed between the pair of rolls that does not form the wringing pressure bite. to disconnect said separable connection. 1 p

6. In a wringer, a frame with one roll rotatably of arms tocoactionwiththe other pair of arms.

8. In. a wringer, a frame with a roll rotatably carried thereby,,two pairs of overlapping arms pivotally carried by. said frame, a roll carried by each pairor" arms insuchrelation that one of the rolls carried by one pair of arms lies between the other roll and the pivot for the arms carrying the other roll, and means operative when one of;said arm supported rolls is separated a predetermined distance from said rotatably carried roll to stop the feeding of clothes through said wringer. V e

9. In a wringer, a frame, a roll rotatably carried thereby, two other rolls each contacting said first roll and. shiftably carried in said frame to provide a pair of roll bites, a guide substantially between said three rolls and adapted to carry clothesfrom the bite between said. first roll and one of the shiftable rolls to the bite between said first roll and the other of said shiftable rolls, and links connecting said guide with each of said shiftable rolls to retain the guide in proper operativeposition when said rolls are shifted.

10. In a wringer, a frame, a. roll. rotatably carried thereby, two-other rolls each contacting said first roll and shiftably carried in said frame in respective supportingarms, a guide substantially between said three. rolls. and adapted to carry clothes from the bite between said first roll and one of theshiftable rolls to the bite between said of said shiftable'rolls to retain the guide 'in proper operative position when said rolls are shifted, a gear carriedby each arm supported roll, a third gear carried adjacent said-guide; and in mesh withthe other two,.and links. acting to maintain the three gears in operative relation for variouspositions of the rolls, 7

.11. In a wringer, a frame,- three rolls mounted in said frame with their axes triangularly spaced from each other to provide between said rolls a pair of roll bites, means to maintain wringing pressure between two of said rolls, means to shift said meansto. establish wringing pressure between, one of. said. two rolls and the third roll, and release. mechanism adapted to be actuated when a predetermined thickness of material is fed to the wringer to stop the operation of the wrmgen,

12. In a wringer, three rolls therein with their axes-triangularly spaced apart and with one roll carried thereby, twopairs of overlapping arms pivotallyv carried by said frame, a roll carried by each pair of arms in such relation that one of the arm carried rolls liesbetweenthe other roll and the pivot for the arms carrying the other roll, said three rollscooperating to provide a pair of ion bitesj I 7. In a wringer, a frame with a roll rotatably carried thereby, two pairs of overlapping arms pivotally carried by said frame, a roll carried by each pair of arms in such relation that one of the :rollscarried by one pair of arms lies between the other roll'and the pivot for the arms carrying the other .roll, spring means pivotally carried beneath said arms to establish'wringing pressure between a pair of rolls by. bearing against said arms and shiftable from coaction with one pair surface simultaneously in bite-establishing relation with, the roll surfaces of each of the other two rolls, a pressure spring mechanism pivotally supported in said wringer and shiftable from a position creating heavy wringing pressure at one roll bite to. a position creating wringing pressure at the otherroll .bite and resilient light pressure means normally urging both said other two rolls into bite establishing relation with said one roll.

13. In a wringer; aframe, three rolls mounted in said frame with their axes triangularly spaced from each other to provide between said rolls a pair of roll bites, means for maintaining wringing pressure between two of said rolls, means to shift said means to establish wringing pressure between one of said two rolls andthe third roll and .common means operable by either of the pressureapplying rolls for stopping operation of thewringer upon feeding a predetermined thickness ofmaterial' therethrough.

. CHARLES W. WILLIAMS. 

